Most sellers probably haven’t gone through the home-selling process and are open minded about receiving guidance from a real estate agent. Some, however, may have heard horror stories from friends who previously sold a home, and might feel skeptical from the beginning.
Regardless of their initial perception, all sellers are looking for a few simple characteristics in agents:
- Marketing acumen
- A solid plan
- Competitive techniques that give them an advantage
- Sound advice, knowledge and trustworthiness
- Experience
All successful agents possess these characteristics, but the real question is whether they’ll get the chance to prove it. On average, it takes a person seven seconds to decide if they like you – and that, more than anything, determines whether you get the listing.
First impressions are everything. With that in mind, here are four tips on how to make a good one:
1. Have a Plan Ready for Presentation
Sellers like to be assured that you know what you’re doing. Even if you haven’t sold many properties or been in the industry long, it’s important to exude confidence and smarts. Explain the steps in the home-selling process. Present statistics for the area, as well as recent selling prices for comparable homes. Wow them with your knowledge.
2. Be Confident
Even if you haven’t mastered the art of high self-esteem, you can still fake it until you make it. Check out these tips for good body posture and social habits that help communicate you know what you’re doing and are a person to be trusted.
3. Research
How’s the market? What’s working and what isn’t? How can you make your client’s listing stand out? How do you stand out?
With this, it’s important to have leading technology such as ShowingTime. In a world where people want things fast and at their fingertips, the ShowingTime mobile app helps greatly, as does MarketStats by ShowingTime.
These products help show clients you’re indispensable to selling their home because you have the essential tools to get it done.
4. Make Them Think Your Ideas Are from Them
People in general don’t like hearing they’re wrong. It’s important to validate your sellers’ opinions, regardless of how off base they might be.
Instead of immediately correcting them, use leading questions to steer them in the right direction.
For example: “Great idea! What do you think buyers will think about ____?”
Or: “I see where you’re going with that. Here are some statistics for homes in your area and what they have sold for in the past few months. Based on this info, what would you say is a good price range?”
Plant ideas in their head, let it sit for a day or two, and come back to it – especially if you have a stubborn seller who thinks they know everything.
There are some great resources available to you out there. Don’t be afraid of researching and going the extra mile for your clients. In the end it will only help you make a good first impression, get a listing and eventually a sale.
Do you spend too much of your day scheduling and confirming appointments? Learn how the ShowingTime Appointment Center helps free up your time to focus on other tasks to grow your business.